Doctor Morningstar, MD
by Fluttering Phalanges
Summary: After Chloe falls seriously ill, Lucifer takes it upon himself to nurse her back to health, no matter the cost.
1. A Slew of Symptoms

**This idea came to me when I woke up at 2:00 a.m. this morning and couldn't fall back to sleep. So I thought of playing around with the idea and seeing where it goes. Without further ado, let's start!**

 **Chapter One:** Slew of Symptoms

It's the splitting headache that's first to greet Chloe when she rouses from sleep. It throbs in her temples, presses the back of her skull, and the mere idea of attempting to stand makes her feel nauseous and dizzy. Saying it hurt is an understatement. Hell, the best comparison she could muster up is that maybe her neurons were in an intense battle in her brain. That, or this pain is the love child of a hangover and migraine. At this point, both seem plausible.

Despite her body's protests, Chloe forces herself off the bed with what little strength she still has a grasp on. The mere motion twists her gut and, for a moment, she fears she may puke. Thankfully, she doesn't. At least there's that. But the victory is small, and the detective is left to fend for herself as she journeys to the bathroom. Christ, her head felt like it weighed a hundred pounds and then some.

Exhausted and aching, the detective turned on her shower and stepped inside. She felt hot as it was, but the heat from the water gave her muscles some relief. At this point, nothing sounded better than crawling back into bed and falling asleep. But she couldn't. There was work and money was money. Still very much queasy, if not worse, she finished up and turned the knob off. Wrapping a towel around herself, Chloe wiped away at the condensation on the mirror.

Much to her dismay, her appearance wasn't that appealing to the eyes. Pallor face, dark circles under both eyes, unnaturally flushed, she looked exactly how she felt. Like hell. Deciding to forgo makeup-seeing as it would only bring more attention to her less than healthy looking features-Chloe merely dressed and pulled her hair back. For all she knew, this was the same outfit she had worn yesterday, but she couldn't even care the slightest.

"Morning," Maze said through a mouthful of toaster pastry upon Chloe's arrival to the kitchen. "I had planned to make one for you," she nodded down at the now empty plate. "But I was hungry."

"It's fine," Chloe replied, sauntering over to the coffee pot. "I wasn't planning on having breakfast anyway."

The demon's eyes narrowed as she watched her roommate gingerly pour herself a cup of black coffee. When Chloe brought the drink to her lips, every sip she took almost seemed to cause her pain. Not only that, but her hands trembled slightly around the mug as if she were shivering. Actually putting her plate somewhat properly into the dishwasher, Maze leaned against the counter, staring Chloe down.

"What's wrong," she inquired, tone somewhat laced with concern. "You look rough."

"Hm," Chloe hummed around the rim of the coffee cup. "Just feeling under the weather."

"I've seen a lot of gross things in Hell. Burning, blistered, damned souls. Prisoners missing body parts. A realm of misery in general. But how you look right now, in a scale of one to ten, you're a hard four," Maze paused before adding. "Not good."

"Thanks for that," Chloe muttered, pouring her remaining coffee down the drain.

"So are you going to call out or something," the other woman asked, arms folded over her chest. "Not sure how helpful you'd be stumbling around like a zombie. But what do I know," she nonchalantly shrugged. "I don't understand you humans and your diseases."

"I'm fine," but Chloe's weary tone betrayed her. "There's a lot I have to do. Mostly paperwork. If I feel worse, I'll leave early." Both she and Maze knew well enough that was a lie, the detective more dedicated to her work than her own health, so there was no point in trying to convince her otherwise. "Trixie's with Dan again tonight, so you don't need to get her after school."

Trying to avoid Maze's gaze, Chloe dug through the medicine cabinet and pulled out a bottle of painkillers. Though the suggested dosage was two pills, she took three in the hopes that maybe she'd get some sort of relief. With a quick utterance of goodbye to Maze, she grabbed her bag and headed out the door.

Even though the weather outside was cool, windy, and drizzling, to Chloe, it felt like a very hot summer's day. But her mind was set on going to work, no matter what. Although, as she got into her car, the detective was beginning to find it harder and harder to ignore the violent churning in her stomach and the relentless throbbing in her head. Chloe was not one to pray, but she was in desperation for the medication to start working. At least maybe then she could actually think straight.

"Detective!"

Chloe couldn't help but wince at the volume of her partner's greeting. Though she knew he hadn't, it was as if he had shouted right into her ear at close range. It felt that way, at least. Her head continued to ring as she made her way over to her desk, pushing past Lucifer and his ever present devilish grin. Once more, she was hit with another dizzy spell and nearly lost her balance trying to pull her chair out. Struggling to catch her breath, she sank into the seat. Slowly, whatever this was, was starting to wear her down.

"Detective?" Lucifer's smile had faltered away into a deep frown. "Are you alright?"

"I…" Chloe only managed to wheeze in response, chest rising and falling rapidly as she fought to regain her composure. "...I'm fine…" she coughed, waving her hand. "Just coming down with a cold or something."

"It doesn't seem to just be a cold," Lucifer replied, the worry etched across his feature almost comical. "Perhaps you should go home and rest. I can handle everything with Detective Douche," he held up his hand as if swearing in on a bible. "Devil's promise."

"No, no," the detective insisted, finally managing to regain some strength in her voice. "I'll be okay. Let's just focus on the tasks at hand. Isn't there a crime scene we have to go investigate? There's…" Her voice drifted off, and for a brief moment, Lucifer feared she'd pass out on him. She didn't. "There's always something to go to."

If he knew it would've make a difference, Lucifer would've argued against her not making the clearly correct choice of returning home. But Chloe was stubborn and hardheaded, and he both loved and hated her for that. If things got worse, however, he would have to take matters into his own hands, Chloe's permission or not. So with a large pit in his stomach, he waited for the detective to rise to her feet before leading her out to his awaiting car.

For the duration of the drive, Lucifer found it difficult to focus on the road and Chloe at the same time. There wasn't much talking, and if it hadn't been for her coughing, he would've been convinced she was asleep. It was difficult to see her like this. Hell, even the smallest thing that troubled her got to him. For the moment, he could only bite his tongue. But Father, did she look sick. Every time she wheezed, his grip on the steering wheel tightened and he had to remember to control himself enough as to not to snap it into pieces.

"I really think I should take you home," he suggested with hesitation. "Or to the hospital. That sounds like a better idea."

"I'm not going home," she had to pause to regain her breath. "And definitely no doctors."

"Detective-"

"I said no, Lucifer," and for a moment, the Devil saw the resilient, _'I'm the one in charge here, Lucifer'_ , look that he knew so well from his beloved Chloe. It almost made him forget how sick she was. Almost.

"Fine," he grumbled, deciding to give into her demands for the time being. "If you insist."

The weak smile she gave him in response only provided another punch of regret to his gut. The remainder of the ride was in silence, except for Chloe's occasional coughs. By the time they arrived at the crime scene, Lucifer's teeth ached from how much he had been grounding them together in an attempt not to argue with his partner. When he finally stepped outside, his feelings of concern for Chloe had morphed into anger towards her. Well, more frustrated than mad. He was starting to really dislike her headstrong attitude.

"Hey," Ella called out, smiling as they approached. "Glad you two are finally here!"

Almost like the flick of a switch, Chloe's previous feeling of being overheated changed to one of being very cold. She was shivering. Violently. And no matter how hard she attempted to lessen it, the chills grew worse. The feeling had surpassed painful, as if someone had picked her up and rattled her until her bones clashed together. She needed to cough. Bad. And that, combined with the shaking, caused an immense sensation of pressure in her chest. Like she was going to explode.

"Chloe?" Ella's voice sounded distant, and try as she may, Chloe couldn't concentrate on it through the pounding of her own heartbeat in her ears. "Decker?"

Light-headed would be putting things too mildly. And it certainly wasn't your normal dizziness. A thick fog-that was the best description one might come up with-had rolled mercilessly through her mind, the haze seeming to choke out her desperate attempts at remaining conscious. Between the burning in her throat from unexpelled bile and pressure in her chest, discomfort had set into agony. Eyes squeezed shut, she felt herself sinking, betrayed by her own bodily functions. Someone grabbed her in a firm, and yet, gently grasp. She wasn't falling anymore. In fact, it felt more like an awkward cradle. Lucifer.

"Chloe?"

Never before had she heard him use such a tone. Fear. Begging. _Pleading_. And though she wanted nothing more than to respond, she hasn't the strength. She felt tired. So, incredibly exhausted. Finally, after battling it for so long, Chloe gave in.

"Chloe," his voice, despite sounding far away, was clear enough to make out the desperation. "Chloe, please!"

But the darkness had already swallowed her.

 **I hope this sounds interesting. I have a lot of ideas for it! Anyway, if you can, reviews are greatly appreciated! It helps me know that people are interested and would like to hear more! Until hopefully next time! -Jen**


	2. A Flurry of Emergencies

**Thank you to those who reviewed, followed, and decided to favorite this story! I hope you continue to find this fanfic enjoyable! Here's chapter two!**

 **Chapter Two:** A Flurry of Emergencies

It seemed like eons had passed as Lucifer cradled the limp form that was Chloe in his arms. In actuality, it had only been a minute at most. During the moment itself, time felt much slower that arguably, Amenadiel himself couldn't replicate it. And as he knelt there, holding her in his arms, never had he felt so vulnerable. So breakable. A ridiculous expression or not, he was grasping his very heart in his hands.

He's so fixated on Chloe, that when Ella approached and placed a hand on his shoulder, he barely noticed. The younger woman was talking-whether it was to him, herself, or both, Lucifer neither knew nor cared. It's when the fellow investigator withdrew her cell phone that the weakest of protests escape from Chloe.

"No," Chloe murmured wearily, her hand giving a poor wave. "Don't."

"Detective," Lucifer responded gently, unsure if this was just deliriousness. "I was so-"

"No," and he finally looked to what she was gesturing to. Ella's phone. "Don't."

The other woman blinked, the tips of her fingers barely brushing against the numbers of the device. Her eyes moved from Lucifer to Chloe before finally resting on the Devil's gaze. It's only when Lucifer nodded did she slip her cell back into her pocket. The detective seemed to visually relax in her partner's arms once she felt confident that the emergency responders wouldn't come bursting through the doors.

"I'll take her," Lucifer assured Ella-moreso for his own personal benefit of knowing Chloe was in good hands than courtesy. "And alert you of any new findings. Devil's word," but there was no humor nor mischievous grin this time.

Despite her protests, Lucifer carried Chloe out of the bureau and into the car. In the few minutes it took to travel in between both locations, her energy seemed to have drained to a dangerously low level. The detective didn't even bother to argue as the devil eased her carefully into the passenger seat and buckled him in. And Christ did that scare him.

For some reason, every traffic light in Los Angeles seemed to have it out for Lucifer. When they hit their third red light in a row, Lucifer was cursing under his breathe, fingers gripping the wheel so hard you could hear the material begin to crunch.

"...Don't hurt the car," Chloe murmured, before adding with a weak smile. "It didn't do anything to you."

"Well if the bloody lights would stay green," he growled, smacking one of his hands against the already abused wheel.

"Lucifer," her tone, while hushed, relentlessly battled to maintain some level of assurance. "I'm fine, I'm not going to die."

Part of him felt the urge to argue that claim. That in actuality, on more than one occasion, she nearly had. But fighting was not on his current agenda. At least when the detective was too sick to quarrel back. He inhaled sharply, refusing to ease up his hold on the wheel as the light finally turned green.

By the time they reached the hospital, Chloe's head had begun to spun at an unnatural speed. For Lucifer's sake, she tried to write it off. It wasn't until the car door opened, her entire frame now welcomed to the outdoor elements, that her stomach betrayed her. She puked. Once. Twice. Then dry heaved. Teeth clenched in front of the now, bitter taste on her tongue, she couldn't help but tremble as Lucifer swung one of her arms around his neck, supporting her as they made their way towards the emergency room.

"There's a bloody, half hour wait?!"

Chloe was slouching from exhaustion as Lucifer spat at the receptionist. She would've said something, called him off the poor woman, but her body finally gave into the weakness she so tried desperately to fight against. Her stomach continued to churn despite its emptiness, and if she knew any better, she might've assumed that her glazed over expression gave off a zombie-like appearance.

"Can't you see how ill she is?!" Lucifer growled, gesturing towards the feeble frame that was Chloe. "How dare you deny us of immediate care!"

"I'm sorry, sir," the woman replied, tone mixed with both aggravation and slight caution. "It's been a busy day-not to mention we are understaffed. We're triaging. You wouldn't believe the amount of children coming in with broken bones today."

"Well, serves them right for being careless!" Lucifer spat, ignoring the surprise in the woman's eyes. "They should be the first to wait. It gives them a chance to think about what choices led them here."

Silence fell between the devil and the woman for a moment, both gazes not faltering from one another. Then, reaching for the clipboard, the receptionist side, glaring at Lucifer with pursed lips. She didn't have to say anything for Lucifer to realized his efforts were futile. _Accidentally_ knocking a box of tissues to the floor, he made his way in defeat to where Chloe sat.

"There's a wait," he hissed, eyes momentarily staring daggers at the once more, preoccupied woman behind the counter. "This isn't Dad's beloved Pearly Gates!"

"Well, I'm glad it's not," Chloe wearily snorted. "I'd rather not be dead if I can help it." Lucifer visibly flinched, causing the detective to quickly added. "I'm not going to die, Lucifer."

Fifteen minutes in, Chloe felt as if she were alternating between standing in a blizzard or a powerful heatwave. Her teeth chattered, almost painfully so, and she was shivering despite her growing body temperature. Without even asking, she crammed herself as close as she could to Lucifer. His fingers danced gently on the back of her neck, and she closed her eyes, trying to focus on his touch and not the growing ferocity of whatever the hell she had come down with.

Whether it was a stroke of luck or an actual miracle, Lucifer's heart leaped a little out of his chest when he heard Chloe's name called only twenty minutes in. He felt guilty rousing her from her sleep, especially after noting how groggy she was, but there wasn't much he could do about that. She needed to see a doctor, even if it momentarily interrupted her rest.

Her throat felt like it was housing a swimming pool's worth of flem that now, after walking, had left its dormancy and made its presence known. It didn't help when she was made to sit down to have her vital signs taken. Being forced to breathe in for the stethoscope only welcomed the needed pressure to erupt hard, painful, wet coughs deep from her chest.

It hurt. Really hurt. And she had to turn her head away from Lucifer as her eyes began to brim a little with tears. She knew he saw. Knew he was looking at her with complete fear and desperation. But now, feeling so worn out by it all, she couldn't get herself to look at him. After all, she worried that if she did, she'd break down and lose it.

"Can I get you anything," Lucifer asked, feeling horribly useless to this new personal hell that was witnessing Chloe's suffering. "Water? Food? Something?"

She only let out a small noise of declination, unable to shake her head in response. The devil chewed on the inside of his cheek, so hard that if it wasn't for Chloe, there might've been serious damage. He wasn't good at this. In a different way than Chloe, he felt sick to his stomach. She looked so vulnerable. So small. And there was nothing he could do about it.

Lucifer's foot tapped at an unnatural speed as a nurse entered into the tiny emergency room. Without so much as a word to Lucifer-perhaps she was the receptionist's friend and heard about him-began to hook Chloe up to a few medical device he was unsure of. Thankfully, the detective had drifted off into a semi state of sleep and didn't so much react to the needle slipped into her arm.

He watched as the nurse exited the room just as silently as she had entered. For a moment, he watched Chloe. Scanning the uncomfortable look on her face. How each inhale and exhale seemed to become raspier with each breath. His heart twisted, the feeling of worthlessness intensifying. It was only when his phone buzzed in his pocket that he came back to reality. Ella.

 _Haven't heard from you. How's Chloe? -E_

 _We're in the worst, bloody hospital of Los Angeles if that gives you any clue. -L_

 _Not really. -E_

 _He paused, before responding._

 _Well, she sure isn't getting any better. Waiting for the doctor now. -L_

 _Cool. Let me know the details. -E_

Lucifer stared down at his phone, finger lightly brushing the screen. Thank Dad for whoever invented these. He shook his head, taking in a deep breath when all of a sudden, to his horror, his ears were filled with the sound of choking.

His cell never made it back to his pocket as he shot up towards Chloe. From where she laid, the detective seemed to writhe in pain, face turning a dark purple as if someone was clutching her tightly by the through. She wheezed, a strange noise escaping from her lips that resembled a guttural sound. If he didn't know any better, he'd compare it to someone being possessed.

He went for her, reaching out as if knowing that when he touched her, he'd know how to stop it. Instead, he found himself pushed backwards as a swarm of medical professionals forced themselves past him. Lucifer could only watch for a brief second as the woman he so dearly cared about disappeared behind the wall of people.

 **Sorry for the long wait! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Comments are loved and appreciated! Until next chapter! -Jen**


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